Let's make a Deal
by MementoMori115
Summary: Ever in search of new entertainment, the Dealmaker finds his way into a world filled to the brim with atrocities the likes of which are usually only found in Hell. Though it's no surprise to him. After all, while humans are capable of great good, they are just as capable of great evil. Let's see who wants to make a deal with the devil.
1. Chapter 1

"_The world is a stage! And the stage is a world of entertainment!"_

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The anguished cries of the weak, the tortured screams of the suffering, and the pained weeping of victims as they plead for mercy that will never come. This world is filled to the brim with a cacophony of the most vile emotions that could possibly exist. The Seven Sins have saturated the land itself, and the Darkness of human nature continues to spread with the passage of time.

And looking out over the land stood an entity whose very presence could distort his surroundings from the overwhelming amount of malefic power that he holds. Though he is of similar shape to a human, he is far from being one. Dressed in a high-end suit colored red, the way he held himself spoke of sophistication and gentlemanly appeal. His hair is a similar shade of red to his clothing, save for the black at the ends of two cowlicks that stood up to resemble the ears of a deer, which was further accented by the stag horns that sprouted from his head. His expression is set in a perpetual smile, showing off a mouth filled with sharpened teeth that are dark-yellow in color, almost as if they were rotten. This made his unnaturally pale face stand out even more, along with his crimson eyes, one of which bearing a monocle. Twirling his 'staff' in an arc, he was almost unable to contain himself.

He couldn't recall the last time he felt this excited. Hell is nice and all, but there is a special enjoyment to be had in simply observing humanity as it tears itself apart without a care in the world. No demons have reached this land yet, which means that all the horrible atrocities committed here were willingly done so by man itself. In fact, when he first stumbled upon this world, the scent of death in the air was so strong that he assumed another demon had beaten him to it. But upon realizing that that wasn't the case, and humanity was solely responsible for their actions, he was positively ecstatic at the prospect of being the first to influence such a horrid place.

"_Why I haven't felt this giddy since humanity started bombing each other with deadly gas during the Great War! Those were the days!"_

The demon began walking across the air on a platform of made of shadows as he made his way towards the enormous city in the distance. Flickering lights amidst the blackness of night were beckoning him closer, filled with promises of violence and depravity. A veritable Hell on Earth, and it was all for him to enjoy~.

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The streets of the capital were wreathed in darkness, only to be illuminated by the occasional street light. With how late it is, most residents had turned in for the night, as no one wanted to be stuck out in the empty dark of the city, making them prime targets for any of the cities more 'unsavory' folk to prey upon. It was an unspoken law in the capital that when you go out alone at night, you have only your own strength to rely on in order to keep you safe. For the most part, the city guards were little more than props who would turn a blind eye to almost anything so long as they get some coin tossed their way.

However tonight was especially dangerous. Not because the notorious gang of assassins known as Night Raid were out and about -even though they are- but because a literal Demon had taken to stalking the streets, yearning for his own personal form of _entertainment_. And it wasn't long before he found it.

The stench of disease and decay was wafting through the air, and it led him not towards a torture dungeon, but rather in the direction of an elegant-looking mansion. As he drew closer, he could practically _feel _the despair suffused in his surroundings. Eventually he reached an innocuous-looking shed behind the building, hidden down a barely noticeable path. Walking through the heavily locked door as if it wasn't even there, the Demon's grin widened at what his eyes beheld.

A perfect example of the potential for mans cruelty. Dozens of dead and dying humans who had suffered cruel and unjust punishment at the hands of those who resided in the mansion. Some had been poisoned or infected with lethal ailments that killed them in the slowest and most agonizingly way possible. There was a corpse leaning against the wall that had been stripped naked, nearly every inch of exposed skin was branded to the point that the body was charred black. Another person was still strapped to a chair with his arms forced out. Both of their limbs had been stripped of flesh, exposing the bones underneath. The man had expired before his captors could return and continue torturing him. There was the corpse of a woman who had been strapped to a table with her chest sliced open, allowing her torturer to dissect her while she was still alive. Glancing to the side, he spotted the hanging corpse of a girl who appeared to be in her teens. One of her legs was missing, and her groin and genitals were covered in lacerations and burns. Walking over, he pulled out some of her hair and gave it a quick sniff.

"_Ahh... Odeur de Mort. One of my favorites."_

He absently picked up one of the tools that had been placed on the table, an instrument of torture that was covered in dry blood. Running his thumb along the length of the blade, he found that the edge still maintained its sharpness, despite the constant use. Twirling the tool in his hand, the Demon stabbed it into one of the corpses that were hanging from the ceiling.

Hearing the faint sound of pained breathing, the Demon walked over to one of the cages, where he saw a boy in his teens who was barely clinging to life. Grasping him by the hair, he lifted the boys head up to look him in the eyes. His skin was covered in sickly lesions and sores, and blood streamed down his chin from constantly vomiting. The boy somehow managed to recover his focus, and his clouded eyes cleared up, if only a little.

"W... Wha...?"

"_Oh my, dear boy! You look as if you've been put through the wringer! I'm actually surprised that you're still conscious!"_

Blinking away the murkiness in his vision, the boy managed to muster up some sense of awareness.

"Who... What are you... doing here?"

"_Now, now sonny. Just because you're feeling a little under the weather, that doesn't excuse your lack of manners. Don't you know that you're supposed to introduce yourself first? Come on, this is just proper etiquette."_

After hacking up a glob of blood onto the floor, the boy leveled a look of confusion at the Demon.

"It's Ieyasu... Wait, are you here to save us?" he asked, his voice filled with hope. Trying to figure out how and why the person standing in front of him had found him was not on his list of concerns at the moment. For now, he just wanted out of this nightmare.

"_Well Ieyasu, it is good to meet you! My name is Alastor! And I must say, you sure have found yourself in one hell of a pickle here! Why, this shack is giving me a nice trip down memory lane, from back when I'd slice up my victims and feed them to the gators in the bayou. Ah, those were the days. There was even that when time I cut off that one girls legs while she was still alive and tossed her in. Boy could she scream!"_

Ieyasu's hope of salvation made an abrupt turn straight towards despair. He hadn't even considered the possibility that the person in front of him was an acquaintance of the family.

"_Come now Ieyasu, you shouldn't be making a face like that! You should be celebrating the fact that you were strong enough to survive this long! They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Then again, what does kill you gives me better ratings~!"_

"What the fuck do you want?!" Ieyasu shouted with what little strength he had. He immediately regretted doing so, as he coughed up even more blood.

Taking a step back and doing a quick spin on his heels, Alastor swung his arms out with a flourish.

"_Entertainment of course! Having a front-row view to all this tragic loss of life is more than enough to get my blood pumping! A perfect opening scene to welcome me to this city! In fact, I almost feel as if I should be paying your captors for creating such a glorious stage!"_

"Fuck you!" Ieyasu cursed as he spat at the Demon. "If you aren't here to help, then either kill me or get the hell out of here!"

"_Now where would the fun be in that? Besides, the main event is only moments away~!"_

"What are you talking about?"

Alastor's grin widened even further as he stepped into the shadows and out of sight, save for the red glow of his eyes.

"_I want to see how you react to freedom being just out of reach for you. To suffer and survive for so long, only to just barely fall short of escape."_

Moments later the door to the shed was busted open, and moonlight poured in to light up the darkness.

"This is the dark side of the capital." spoke the blonde woman who had kicked open the door.

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Alastor was practically beaming with amusement as he watched things quickly unfold. The arrival of the 'assassins of justice', the boy called Tatsumi who could only gape in horror as he discovered what remained of his friends who he had been searching for, the girl who was responsible for the acts of cruelty as she snapped and revealed her true nature, and even as Tatsumi exacted his vengeance against the girl. Yet it was a hollow victory for the boy, as his friend died moments later. So close to escape, only for it to be ripped away from him at the last moment. Such a glorious tragedy was exactly what Alastor was looking for.

And if this was just a taste of what was to come, then he was certain his time spent in the city would not be wasted. But first, he had to take the stage and play the part he was born for. Tatsumi was overwhelmed with feelings of despair and rage, meaning he wasn't in the best mindset to be making proper judgement calls. And Alastor would be saddened if he allowed such an opportunity to pass by.

For a moment, absolute darkness seemed to swallow the surroundings whole, and timed came to a sudden halt.

"What the hell is this?!"

"Is it a teigu?!"

The two other women were caught up in Alastor's trap as well, but he wasn't the least bit worried. It might even work to his advantage in some way.

"_Although I don't know what a teigu is, I can assure you that what you are seeing right now is of my own design~."_

Stepping into view, Alastor looked every bit the Demon that he is.

"Who are you?!" the blonde shouted defensively.

However Alastor was currently aiming his focus squarely at Tatsumi.

"_Tell me, Tatsumi," he spoke as he held out his right hand, a faint green glow now emanating from it. "would you be interested in making a deal~?"_


	2. Chapter 2

"_Don't flatter yourself with the assumption that you're my friend! To me, you are but a simple prop. One that I will dispose of as soon as you've outlived your usefulness."_

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Of the many different types of Demons who reside in Hell, the Dealmaker is among the most dangerous. Dealmakers are Demons who are formed by the unrepentant souls of sinners when they are sent to Hell. These monsters were among the most sinister of human beings, committing crimes that leave them beyond redemption, and have no intention of ever regretting their choices or apologizing for the horrible acts they carried out. Completely devoid of empathy for those around them, the Dealmakers are literally incapable of feeling remorse, leading many of them to act in unpredictable ways. Their motivations and goals are much like the river Phlegethon; ever changing, yet forever dangerous.

As the name suggests, Dealmakers are notoriously known for a single trait in particular; the Deal. This refers to their ability to form an unbreakable contract with those who wish to 'borrow' the Dealmakers power. It is also where the term 'make a deal with the devil' originated from. Depending on their level of power, these Demons are capable of altering reality itself in order to grant the wishes of those who form a pact with them. However it goes without saying that regardless of what the contractor asks of the Dealmaker, it is the latter who will always reap the greatest reward. This is due to the nature of the Deal, in which the Dealmaker decides what price must be paid in exchange for their services. While there are some who posses their own form of honor and pride in their work, and will often only take what most would consider a fair trade -if still skewed in favor of the Dealmaker-, it is the most cunning and manipulative of these Demons take advantage of the contractor. The Deal is eternally binding, meaning that the Dealmaker is required to hold up their end of the bargain regardless of what it is. But once they have granted the desire of their soon-to-be victim, they have absolute control over their half of the contract. And as many would assume, this usually results in the Demon claiming ownership over the contractors soul.

Dealmakers are also known to be very territorial, as they don't want their fellow Demons poaching potential contractors. As such, the number of Dealmakers in Hell at any one time can often be counted on one hand. And among these few monsters, exists an even greater monster.

Alastor, The Radio Demon.

His origins are unclear, and it is unknown if Alastor is even his real name, but the fact remains that he is among the most powerful of Hell's denizens. In life, he was known in public as the popular and charismatic host of a radio-show. Yet in the shadows, he was a ruthless serial killer whose body-count was staggering for a single human. This aspect of him carried over when he became a Demon, as he always maintains the facade of a proper gentleman or eccentric entertainer, which he uses to conceal his true nature of a sadistic tyrant.

That is not to say that he is completely merciless in a sense, as provided he can continue to get entertainment out of a situation, he is less likely to interfere in a more violent manner. In fact, a fair number of his past contractors have been left in relatively good condition, so that he may call them out whenever he has the urge to further screw with their lives and whatnot.

However there is one rule that, above all else, must be followed, lest you wish to suffer the full extent of his wrath.

"_The show must go on. No matter the cost."_

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The man standing in front of him wasn't human; Tatsumi was certain of this. Putting aside his demented appearance, forgetting the unnatural entrance he made, and leaving out the distortion in his voice, his very presence screamed danger. The interior of the shack was consumed by absolute darkness, only allowing for the immediate surroundings to be visible, which made the mans figure stand out even more.

Managing to find his voice once more, Tatsumi was too caught off-guard to remember what was just said. "W-what?"

"_A Deal my good fellow! I'm asking if you'd like to make a Deal with me! An agreement between two people in which they must each hold up their end of the bargain!" the man answered as he spun the strange rod he was holding, which resulted in a faint flame trailing behind to linger in the air. Suddenly halting his movements, the stranger tapped his head and chided himself. "Ah, but where are my manners? I should probably start with a proper introduction~!"_

Tapping one foot on the ground, the sound of a crowd applauding was heard which seemed to emanate from every direction. A spotlight came into existence and shined down on the stranger, giving him the appearance of some sort of showman standing center stage.

"_The name is Alastor, my good fellow~! Entertainer, radio host, serial killer, and most importantly," he said as his face quickly distorted, momentarily changing his appearance to something even more sinister. __**"Demon~."**_

And just as quickly as he took on a extremely demented visage, his face was suddenly back to normal, almost as if nothing had happened in the first place.

"Demon..." Tatsumi uttered with a hushed tone.

The boy was still reeling from finding his dead friends, and was having trouble processing what was going on in front of him. Though the two assassins were doing relatively better with their reactions. The assassin known as Akame looked ready to explode into action at a moments notice, while Leone's animal features were showing signs of being on high-alert. Alastor wasn't presenting any overt sense of aggression, so the two women were content to leave things be for the moment, and Tatsumi could tell why. Even they were feeling the oppressive aura of the absolute monster in front of them, with every fiber of their bodies, every survival instinct they held, and mental warning-bells ringing like mad, telling them that Alastor was someone -no- _something _that was so far beyond their capability of fighting that an instantaneous death would be a mercy for them.

"_That's right my dear boy! I am indeed an entertainer!" Alastor proclaimed gleefully, completely ignoring the fact that Tatsumi was caught up on a different part of his introduction. "And it just so happens that you and your friend there put on one hell of a performance for me!"_

Tatsumi internally growled at how nonchalant Alastor was acting in regards to his friends death, but he dare not lash out at the demon.

"_Such a tragedy almost brought a tear to my eyes." he remarked as a handkerchief popped into existence, which he used to dab below his eyes. "I haven't laughed that hard in ages!"_

Now it was getting progressively more difficult for Tatsumi to restrain himself. Even if it resulted in his death, he considered at least trying to harm the monster looming over him. As long as he could at least scratch him, he could die satisfied. But he refused to throw his life away so easily. He had to live on for the sake of his friends.

"_But allow me to get us back on topic." he said as the piece of cloth turned to ash. "As I said before, I'd like to offer you a Deal."_

"What kind of deal?"

The question didn't come from Tatsumi, but rather it was asked by Leone.

Alastor turned a sharp-toothed grin at towards the blonde, looking particularly satisfied with something that they were unaware of.

"_The obvious one of course! A Faustian Deal! A Demon's Pact! The Deal with the Devil! A sacrificial summons!" a dead lamb in the center of a bloody pentagram suddenly came into existence on the floor. "A genie's wish, minus the second two!" he said as he pulled out an Arabian lamp before tossing it aside. "Sign on the dotted line with your blood and relinquish your soul forevermore!" an old-looking piece of parchment slipped out from his sleeve, written in a language none could interpret. "Permanently be barred from entering Heaven and curse yourself to an eternity of damnation!" a set of prison bars dropped down in front of him, which he grabbed and started shaking._

With the snap of a finger, all the things Alastor brought into existence were now gone, and he returned his attention to Tatsumi.

"_Make a Deal with me, and I shall grant you that which you desire most. Money? Power? Fame? Or perhaps..." he started listing off, only to pause as he swung his staff in front of Sayo's hanging corpse. As the tool briefly obscured her body, her appearance reverted back to that of when she was still alive. "Life~?"_

The two assassins immediately realized what was happening. During a moment of absolute desperation, a drowning man will reach out for anything that can help him. Even if it's the Devil's hand. Alastor had chosen to appear at this exact moment in order to tempt Tatsumi.

"Don't do it Tatsumi!" Leone shouted in concern. She may not have known the kid for very long, but she still felt obligated to stop him from making a mistake of this magnitude. "There's no guarantee that he'll even hold up his end of the bargain! Your friends wouldn't want you to do this!"

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'll have you know that I always uphold my end of the Deal. Let it not be said that I don't take pride in my work." Alastor chided the blonde as he wagged his finger. "Besides, it's his decision at the end of the day. So why don't you let the boy choose his own fate~?"_

Tatsumi listened on in silence as his head lowered to gaze at his clenched fists. This would quite possibly be the most important choice of his entire life, and he was torn between the two options. Sell his soul to bring back his friends, or pass on the offer and live on under his own terms?

The smiling demon then leaned in towards Tatsumi, his grin getting progressively more malevolent as he drew close.

"_What will it be Tatsumi? Tell us your choice. Live your life with the regret of letting your friends die, or take my offer and give them a second chance? Salvation or Damnation? Would you rather serve in Heaven, or rule in Hell~?"_

Alastor's hand began to glow a bright green as he offered it to Tatsumi.

"I... I..."

Regardless of how hard he tried, Tatsumi couldn't find the words to give a proper response. He lifted his head up and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. Exhaling slowly, he met Alastor's wicked gaze with his own look of resolve.

"I refuse."

A deafening silence followed. Minutes or hours could have passed, and none present would have been any the wiser. That one brief answer seemed to cause a near imperceptible change to something in the world.

Alastor continued to stare at Tatsumi without so much as blinking, only for his head to tilt to the side in confusion.

"_Really now? You choose to turn down my offer?"_

Worried that speaking aloud would result in some form of irreparable damage to reality, Tatsumi responded with a simple nod.

Pulling back his offered hand, Alastor gazed at the dimming glow with curiosity. For a moment, he appeared confused, as both his hand and eyes closed in thought. Then came something akin to a cough as his shoulders hitched. Followed by another, and another. Soon it became apparent that he was chuckling. And the chuckling soon evolved into laughing. And the laughing soon evolved into a full-on guffaw.

"_Aha, ha, ha, ha~! And here I thought humans could no longer be amusing aside from violently maiming each other!" he cried jubilantly. "To think; I finally come across a human who outright refuses to make a Deal with me! And it's in this marvelous den of debauchery and death!"_

His laughter eventually dying down, Alastor placed a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder and gave him a congratulatory pat.

"_You are an interesting one kid, I'll give you that! Your friends lie dead before you, yet that is not enough to sway you from the path of righteousness!"_

Spinning on his heel, Alastor tapped the floor with his staff, and the darkness that had consumed the room quickly receded.

"_You've gained my attention dear boy, so how about we do something a little different?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder. "First off, you really should be smiling. You're never fully dressed without one after all!"_

Feeling it was the appropriate thing to do, Tatsumi managed to give the demon a half-hearted smile.

"_Eh, that will do for now." Alastor opined with a shrug. "Instead of a Deal, I am going to make a bet. Over the course of the following months, you will experience all the evil this city has to offer. The darkest aspects of humanity will come to greet you on a daily basis, and try their hardest to break you. With every kill you make, your own humanity will gradually wear away until it is nothing, and you are but a hollow shell of the bright-eyed boy you once were. If, by the next time we meet, you can still give me a genuine smile, then I will grant you one wish, with no Deals attached."_

"W-what?"

"_Your friends might still be within reach after all. So be sure to keep me entertained. So stay tuned folks, because I'll be watching~."_

And with that, he was gone.


End file.
